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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

12 Ranked Colleges
450 Degrees Awarded
$11,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 3,485 people earned their degree in materials engineering, making the major the 150th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, materials engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $63,129 and had an average of $23,918 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 781 materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $67,850 and $23,267 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 450 materials engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 12 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in materials engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality materials engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the materials engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Materials Engineering Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Materials Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Northwestern

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $6,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - Madison Materials Engineering Report

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,879 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Purdue

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Materials Engineering Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 72 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Materials Engineering at Ohio State

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Michigan Tech is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan Tech, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,049 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Michigan Tech

#8

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,197 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Michigan State University

#9 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s materials engineering students in 2019-2020.

Case Western not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western Reserve University is $19,034 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Materials Engineering at Case Western Reserve University

#10

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 16 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UWM is $14,957 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Materials Engineering Report

#12 in overall quality

Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Dayton, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s materials engineering students in 2019-2020.

Wright State University - Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,755 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Materials Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus Materials Engineering Report

#11 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Materials Engineering Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 5 bachelors’s materials engineering degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Materials Engineering Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,720 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree materials engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois Institute of Technology Materials Engineering Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Panoramedia.

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